NORFOLK, Va. – Nendah Tarke scored a game-high 19 points and
Sam Sessoms recorded 17 points on a career-high 15-of-19 free throws to lead the Coppin State men's basketball team to a 69-62 victory at Norfolk State on Monday night at Echols Hall. The Eagles move to 7-21 overall and 2-9 in the MEAC while the Spartans fall to 19-8 with a 8-3 mark in league play.
Inside the Numbers
- Tarke hit 8-of-12 shots from the floor with a pair of 3-pointers while grabbing four rebounds, two steals and a block. Tarke is closing in on 1,000 points and now has 978 in his career.
- Despite making just one field goal, Sessoms hit 15-of-19 free throws to finish with 17 points. He impacted the game in all aspects, leading the Eagles with six rebounds, six assists and four steals. Sessoms now has 198 career steals as he approaches a historic milestone of 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 500 assists and 200 steals.
- Sessoms continues to be the only player nationally to average 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals this season.
- Coppin also got 14 points and four 3-pointers from Kam'Ron Blue, ten points on 6-of-6 free throws from Justin Steers and seven points from Mike Hood. Steers blocked a shot and is tied with Brendan Medley-Bacon for ninth on Coppin's all-time blocks list with 82.
- The Eagles played just seven players as Greg Spurlock scored two points and Luka Tekavcic recorded a block in his three minutes of action.
- CSU shot 47.5% from the floor and held the Spartans to just 33.8% shooting. NSU held a 41-20 advantage on the glass with 17 offensive rebounds which translated into 19 second-chance points.
- Dana Tate and Caheim Brown led Norfolk State with 11 points apiece.
How it Happened
- Norfolk State got out to a 10-0 lead before Blue hit a three with 15:45 to go in the first half, putting Coppin on the board. Sessoms followed with a free throw and Steers added two more to make it a 10-6 deficit at the 13:25 mark.
- After a three by the Spartans, the teams traded buckets before NSU extended its lead to 26-12 with 7:10 left in the first.
- Coppin closed the period on a 9-0 run with jumpers from Steers and Hood, followed by two more freebies from Steers and a three by Tarke in the closing seconds to make it a 31-27 NSU lead at the break.
- Blue buried a three to start the second half which provided the spark for a 18-4 Coppin State run. He added a dunk and another three during the stretch which helped the Eagles to a 45-35 advantage with 15:21 remaining.
- Norfolk cut the deficit to as little as 50-48 on a dunk by Kris Bankston with 7:52 remaining, but Sessoms answered with a layup at the 6:47 mark before Tarke drained a three to stop the bleeding.
- Sessoms hit seven free down the stretch to seal the victory for the Eagles.
Up Next: Coppin hosts Maryland Eastern Shore for Senior Day on Saturday, February 25 in a 4 pm tipoff. Prior to Senior Day, CSU will recognize
Kam'Ron Blue,
Mike Hood,
Sam Sessoms,
Justin Steers and
Christian Sutton.
